Report: PS3 beating Xbox 360 in global shipments

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Sony’s PlayStation 3 has eclipsed the Xbox 360 in global shipments, according to a market analysis document by the International Data Corporation.

As reported by GI.biz, the document by Lewis Ward – titled Worldwide Video Game Entertainment Console Hardware and Packaged Software 2012 – 2016 Forecast – contains shipment figures for both Sony and Microsoft’s current-gen machines as of December 2012.

According to the report, PS3 stands at about 77 million, while Xbox 360 is at 76 million. That’s despite Microsoft’s box getting a 12-month head start on its leading rival and maintaining the advantage ever since – or at least, up until last month.

It added: “Nintendo will still ‘find an audience’ with Wii U, reaching global shipments of 50 million by year-end 2016.”

Again, this is numbers shipped, not how many are actually in the hands of consumers. It’s unknown if the figures were obtained from the platform holders themselves or form part of IDC’s forecast.

Sony said last autumn that PS3 had sold 70.2 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2012.